These years hydrogen is taken notice of as an alternative fuel for petroleum from viewpoints such as a depletion of existing resources such as the petroleum and a discharge of carbon dioxide.
Conventionally, in order to manufacture the hydrogen as such an energy source, electrolysis of water and the like is general.
For example, in electrolyzing the water the hydrogen is generated according to a following equation (1):H2O→H2+½O2.   (1)
In this case, although in order to obtain the hydrogen by electrolyzing the water, a potential difference of 1.23V is needed, it is impossible to electrolyze the water due to a high electric resistance thereof unless the potential difference not less than 1.23 V is given to the water. Therefore, although in order to generate the hydrogen, a solution where an electrolyte such as alkali is dissolved is electrolyzed, it is necessary to remove an alkali compound generated as a byproduct and there is also a problem that a decomposition index is low.
As another method for generating hydrogen, a thermal decomposition of water is thought. However, in order to obtain the hydrogen by thermally decomposing the water, it is necessary to decompose it under a high temperature of around 4,300 degrees Celsius and thereby larger energy is needed, so it is not practical.
In addition, because although as a method for generating hydrogen, is thought the method for chemically reacting a metal and the water by adding an alkali metal such as aluminum, such the metal is comparatively expensive and the chemical reaction is rapid, so it is difficult to industrially utilize the method.
Because although an organic compound such as methanol is comparatively small in bonding energy of hydrogen and carbon and a potential difference necessary for electrolysis thereof results in being less, a generation of byproducts such as CO and CO2 is accompanied in an electrolysis reaction of the organic compound, it is difficult to use the organic compound as clean energy as it is, and it is necessary to take a countermeasure for removing the byproducts.
Thus many trials for using hydrogen as energy are performed. For example, are cited a fuel cell system, a vehicle for mounting the fuel cell system (a fuel cell automobile and a hybrid automobile equipped with both of a fuel cell system and an internal combustion engine), the internal combustion engine, an external combustion engine, a hybrid fuel automobile, further a rocket that makes the hydrogen a power source, and the like. In this connection, the fuel cell system is also taken notice of as an application for a portable device.
When using hydrogen for such the purposes, it is desired that a hydrogen generation system for generating the hydrogen is downsized.
Conventionally, hydrogen is manufactured by being reformed under an existence of a catalyser, for example, making organic compounds such as methanol and gasoline starting materials. However, because when manufacturing the hydrogen by using such a reforming reaction, a byproduct such as CO is generated due to a low selectivity, it is necessary to take a countermeasure to remove the byproduct. Furthermore, because the reforming reaction proceeds under a high temperature, a great deal of energy is needed.
Still furthermore, because the organic compounds, which are the starting material, are a limited resource, there is a request that a recyclable resource is wanted to be made the starting material.
Accordingly, there are strong requests for an apparatus, which generates hydrogen used as such recyclable energy with less energy and preferably without giving energy from an outside; and a hydrogen generation system equipped with the hydrogen generation apparatus; particularly for the hydrogen generation apparatus and hydrogen generation system that can save space for mounting the fuel cell system, the fuel cell system mount vehicle, further the rocket that makes the hydrogen the power source, and the like.
Furthermore, there is a strong request for a hydrogen generation apparatus and hydrogen generation system that can generate a sufficient amount of hydrogen by less energy being given from recyclable resources such as water and sea water.
Accordingly, a problem of the present invention is to provide the hydrogen generation apparatus, which can generate hydrogen with less energy and achieve space saving, and the hydrogen generation system equipped with the hydrogen generation apparatus.
The inventor formerly filed a patent, as a result of a dedicated study taking the problem into consideration and finding that: when arranging particles composed of a predetermined metal element at a predetermined array, high energy is generated between the particles, and a substance is activated with using the energy (Japanese Patent Application, 2001-021734).
In accordance with the patent application it is described that various substances can be activated by arranging particles composed of any of a single constituent element selected from a group comprising silicon, nickel, titanium, and samarium, and fluorocarbon at positions, which amplify unique wave energy in any of each the element and the fluorocarbon an activation structural body, which makes an energy concentration field exist between the particles, generating high energy (interaction thereby) between the particles, that is, the energy concentration field being generated; and making the various substances pass through and stay in the energy concentration field.